Student Artist in the Spotlight: Bruce Jones

Reason: "I like it when there is meaning to the art. We study how a simple line can make a mountain or an oval can become a pond. In preschool my parents could always pick out my art because it was really bad. I would rush through because I couldn't go to recess until I finished my art. I feel more successful when I am not rushed to finish my art."

Self reflection: "I feel like this year I have become serious about art. I was surprised when my art was selected to be in the Nugget Mall student art show. In the past, my art was not always the best. I am not ready to like one kind of art. I like it all and want to study it all."

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All in the family: "My grandma made baskets and my mom likes cultural art from Native groups in Alaska."

Favorite artists: "I studied Johan Miro and wrote a paper on him. I like how he does curved lines and organic shapes in his work. I don't have a favorite author but like fantasy books."

Future plans: "I will continue doing art and guess I would like to learn more about 3-dimensional art techniques."

His classroom teacher, Becky Engstrom, says: "Bruce ... embraces process, which in turn makes a difference in his products. ... Bruce consistently exhibits skill, risk and individuality in all his creations. Bruce also performed in the Juneau Lyric Opera's "Beauty and the Beast." He is willing to try different kinds of art and worked very hard preparing to perform in front of hundreds of people. ... Bruce thinks outside the box when given an art assignment. ... It appears he thinks of all the possibilities before jumping into the assignment, then takes risks along the way. ... He recognizes and acts on equality issues as if it were second nature. He looks out for others, not just himself or just his friends."

 Student Artist in the Spotlight is a weekly feature on the Neighbors page and is in collaboration with the Juneau School District Elementary Art Program. To have your student art included, contact your school office.